This invention relates to a combination microwave oven and ventilating hood. More particularly, this invention is directed to a combination microwave and ventilating hood adapted to be positioned in the space above an electric gas range or cooking surface normally occupied by a ventilating hood alone.
In most present day kitchens, the principal cooking appliance consists of an electric or gas range. Such ranges normally include a horizontally disposed surface having a plurality of electric or gas cooking units on which a food containing vessel is supported during the cooking process. In order to exhaust odors and smoke attendant to this cooking process there is usually provided, directly above the cooking surface, a ventilating or exhaust hood. This ventilating or exhaust hood is usually supported in the midst of storage cabinets and is generally of standard dimensions.
In recent years, there has been a growing demand for microwave ovens for use in kitchens as a supplement to electric and gas ovens. As a result of this demand, the so-called countertop microwave oven has been developed and made widely available. This type of oven has, however, typically required the use of already limited countertop space in the typical home kitchen. This latter disadvantage has been one factor in slowing the growth of the countertop microwave oven market and has generally made the addition of such an oven less desirable to housewives.
The above disadvantage has been substantially overcome by the provision of a novel combination microwave oven and ventilating hood, described in greater detail hereinafter, which utilizes the space over a kitchen range normaly occupied by the ventilating hood alone. In addition, the invention is particularly directed to the features of such a combination product which particularly adapt it to easy and facile installation by one person.
More particularly, it is desirable for kitchen appliances to be easily installed by one person. Heavy appliances which require two installers to carry or mount significantly increase the ultimate cost of the appliance to the purchaser. With regard to appliances which are to be mounted to a wall or hung underneath a cabinet or other support, the problem arises when it is required that a second person be present to physically hold or position the appliance in place while the mounting bolts or fastening devices are inserted by the other person.
One of the most common methods of attaching appliances to the walls includes the use of a bolt or screw which projects through the appliance into the wall or support structure. Unfortunately, if an appliance is heavy, a single installer is forced to lift and position the appliance with one hand while attempting to secure it by inserting and driving a screw with the other. Over and above the difficulty of this procedure, this often results in misalignment of the appliance with the surrounding support pieces or, worse, an insecure mounting for the appliance. Gaps between adjacent pieces become greater and are unsightly. The heavier the appliance, the greater the problem since the time required to properly drive a screw or insert a bolt may be greater than the time the installer can physically support the weighty appliance. Sometimes the appliance, due to the awkwardness of the mounting procedure, is installed in a skewered position and thereby fails to operate properly or operates less effectively.
The above considerations all increase the desirability of a mounting system for an appliance which permits installation by a single installer and, furthermore, which assures, by the nature of the arrangement, a secure and properly aligned appliance when installed.